Chapter 479: Departure from Littleroot Town and Planning

After successfully capturing Mudkip, Cain left the backyard without looking back—a backyard simulating various environments. He dared not linger any longer in such a place, where a single misstep could prove fatal.

Upon exiting the backyard, Cain found Professor Birch waiting for him, reading a report in his hands, evidently making use of his time. Seeing Cain, the professor put the report away and smiled. "Already caught it? That quick?"

Cain nodded and expressed his gratitude. "I really appreciate the trouble, professor. Capturing this Water-type Pokémon will greatly ease the opening of my gym."

Professor Birch patted Cain on the shoulder and said, "No need to be so formal. These Mudkip are meant for outstanding trainers in the League. Opening a gym in Hoenn with your reputation as a prodigious breeder has earned you quite the recognition."

Cain couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the comment. His master's previous risky maneuver had now made him famous as a breeder.

The two walked slowly from the backyard to the lab's exterior, where a rather conspicuous off-road vehicle awaited them. Several lab staff members, now without their white coats, were already inside.

"Well, Cain, I'm sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I must leave. I won't be able to stay and keep you company," Professor Birch apologized.

"Don't worry, professor. I understand your duties take precedence. I've also accomplished my purpose here and should head back. The gym in Leafy Town is probably almost finished, and I need to return to finalize preparations," Cain replied with a smile.

"Perfect! Then next time you're in Littleroot Town, we can have a proper chat," Professor Birch said, boarding the off-road vehicle.

Cain nodded. At that moment, the engine roared, and the vehicle sped off, kicking up a cloud of dust as it disappeared into the forest. Cain stood watching for a moment before heading into the woods himself.

Overall, Cain was quite satisfied with the achievements of this visit: strengthening his Pokémon, increasing his psychic power, and capturing Mudkip. Everything had gone smoothly.

Moreover, he already had the three elixirs necessary for hatching Larvitar. Now, it was time to plan its incubation.

There were also pending matters like Sneasel and Haunter's evolutions, as well as training his second Pokémon team—tasks Cain needed to handle in the near future.

It seemed like his time for managing the gym would be quite limited.

Not to mention the business with the Celestial Hunting Group and Team Heaven.

Time was scarce, and Cain had little room to allocate it.

After eliminating the three Void members in the forest, the Mauville City branch of the Void organization might investigate the matter.

While they might not initially link it to Cain, once the elimination of the Black Snake gang—formerly under Kainan's command—came to light, the connection would eventually be made.

At that point, whether Void launched a massive attack or Kainan came alone or with his underlings, Cain would have to face them.

Therefore, he couldn't neglect his growth in strength.

Strength remained the number one standard for measuring a person in this world.

The journey back was much simpler. Cain no longer needed to venture deep into the forest, as his Pokémon's level and strength had significantly increased over the past few days.

What they needed now was to fully master that power increase. That was their primary goal at the moment.

If they leveled up too quickly, they might face foundational issues—or in other words, they might not be sufficiently consolidated, affecting their future progress.

Perhaps, given the quality of Cain's Pokémon, these effects wouldn't be noticeable until they reached the Elite level. But when the time came to aim for the Elite Four or Champion level, the lack of solid foundations could become a stumbling block.

So, to ensure a stronger future, it was necessary to build a solid foundation now.

After leaving Littleroot Town behind, Cain summoned his Tropius.

Returning to Leafy Town could take more than a day, so he would have to spend a night in the forest. However, Tropius was currently the most suitable Pokémon Cain had for long-distance flights.

The Yanmega he had taken from Rei was also a good Flying-type Pokémon, with great speed and stamina. But compared to Tropius, it was smaller and probably less comfortable for long journeys.

Besides, Cain had yet to fully subdue that Yanmega.

These Pokémon, which had once had a trainer, were the hardest to capture—especially if their previous trainer had treated them well; they would rather die than betray.

However, judging by the character of its previous trainer, Cain was somewhat confident in his ability to subdue Yanmega and the other Bug-type Pokémon.

Still, Cain no longer considered them a priority. Perhaps Yanmega could still be useful as a means of aerial transport.

Seated on Tropius's back, Cain reflected on his plans for the coming days.

Upon returning, the gym in Leafy Town should be nearly complete. With the League construction team's speed, setting up a small gym in just a few days shouldn't be an issue.

However, Cain had few Water-type Pokémon at his disposal—only Slowking and a barely battle-ready Gyarados. It was a bit limited for a Water-type gym.

Additionally, most of his Water-type Pokémon weren't native to the Hoenn region. A gym intended to train local trainers should feature native Pokémon to attract more League trainers.

Cain's provisional plan was to capture some Water-type Pokémon as temporary solutions. Once Mudkip and other Pokémon matured, they would officially represent the Leafy Town gym.

Perhaps he should have borrowed some Pokémon from Wallace earlier. With the resources of the Sootopolis City gym, they could have loaned him some Pokémon for battles.

Now, the options were to revisit the lake where he had found Absol or buy some pre-trained Water-type Pokémon from the black market to fill the temporary gap.

Fortunately, even if the gym was built, it would still need some time to officially open, giving Cain some leeway to prepare.

(End of Chapter)

-------

Guys, please take a moment to read my latest post. It's crucial for understanding the trainer levels and the strength of Elite and Elite Four-level Pokémon.

P.S. You only need to sign up as a free member to read it—no payment is required for this post.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/pkcl-elite-level-125464215?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link